Prologue:
She couldn't remember the last time she felt the warmth of the sun on her face. No, never mind, she could. It had been a long time ago and she had only seen a glimpse of it after escaping before being dragged back into the underground facility that would haunt her nightmares for the rest of her life.
But here she was. Face turned up towards the sky, arms spread out on either side and eyes closed as she soaked it all in. The sunlight bathing her in warmth she hadn't ever felt down below. The woman let out an excited squeak of joy and, although she wanted to stay like this forever, she knew she had something to do now.
She wasn't very tall, about five foot three inches, but the heel springs on her mechanical looking boots added about two inches to her overall height. And with her arms splayed out on either side of her, she looked like she was a child experiencing the feeling of getting caught in the rain for the first time. She took in another breath of fresh air and committed the scents to memory; earthy, musty scents that were far more natural than the sour, medical office scents of the test chambers below her. She liked these scents much better. Just the idea of never having to deal with a test chamber again made her want to scream out in utter joy. She wanted to run through the wheat bare-footed, feel the dirt between her toes and feel the tickle of the wheat on her skin. She wanted the warm summer breeze to blow through her hair, she wanted to rip the little rubber band that held her dark hair into a long, neat ponytail out and let her hair fall around her neck and shoulders. She wanted to be free, and now, now she was.
The woman, who went by the name of Chell, turned and looked down at the giant steel-plated cube beside her, smiling and picking it up. Surprisingly, it wasn't as heavy as she remembered it being. With one last glance at the tiny tin shed she had emerged from, Chell stepped into the sea of golden wheat in front of her and left the nightmare behind.